Digimon Defenders
by Kiyo Seishuku
Summary: Masaru Seishuku is met with fate when he becomes partners with the Digimon Lunamon. The two, along with other Tamers, attempt to find the reason behind Digimon's sudden appearance in the real world.  Reboot of the original, debunked series.
1. Anomalies

**LEVEL 1 – Anomalies**

Masaru continued down the district street. Leaves fell around him as the wind blew through his dark hair; it was the first day of autumn, and it certainly showed.

Despite the relative beauty of the day, there was considerably less commotion out on the street, leaving it quite empty and atmospheric. Masaru relished in this tranquility. He had longed for some silence in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, and was glad his wish finally came true.

To enjoy the moment longer, Masaru slowed his pace and took in the fresh air. In such a modernized city, the sudden prevalence of nature was a refreshing change. Sure, it was a school day that brought about homework needing to be completed for the following day, but responsibilities slipped Masaru's mind as he was lost in a seemingly endless path of natural beauty.

Enraptured in the sights, Masaru hardly noticed a small spark in the distance. Eventually, he saw a faint light, glowing rapidly, from an alleyway. Snapped out of his fantasy, Masaru ran toward the light out of curiosity. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a force bringing him toward the radiance, as if his footsteps weren't entirely of his own volition.

The alley was dark, shielded from the sun by the apartments surrounding it. At least, it would be dark without the addition of the strange glow. This only served to make it more out place, prompting Masaru to walk up to it after reaching his destination.

"This light... What is it?" Indeed, it was a bizarre entity. Appearing as a glowing ball hovering in the air, its radiance looking both natural and artificial.

Masaru was still curious. "Should I... touch it?" He thought the idea over. Here he was, walking home from school, discovering an abnormal glow in an alleyway. There was no way of telling just _what_ the light was; if it was harmful, if it was a sensor of some sort, or if it was light at all. Reaching out and attempting to touch it could potentially be dangerous.

_Come, child_. A faint but powerful voice brought Masaru out of his analysis. The words rang loud and clear through his mind, as if it were telepathy from a science fiction film. Masaru was sure of one thing: it had definitely come from the light before him.

_Why do you stay your hand?_ There it was again. It sounded somewhat clearer, as if their psychic connection had become more stable. _The light awaits your power._

After hesitating, Masaru slowly brought his hand up towards the glow. Like the way he had walked over to it, he wasn't entirely sure if his movements were voluntary. The mysterious force from before seemed to be coordinating him again.

Looking past his blue sleeve and open hand, Masaru could see the light brightening. Soon, it had become so bright that Masaru was forced to cover his eyes with his free arm. The light seemed to slowly envelope his surroundings as well, until Masaru appeared to be standing in a white space. All the while, the voice echoed through his mind again, in a more ominous manner.

_It has been fulfilled...!_

Masaru suddenly felt disoriented. In fact, the waves of adrenaline rushing through his body told him he was falling. Falling, through an endless white void. All the while, odd images flashed through Masaru's mind, appearing and disappearing so fast they didn't leave a lasting impression on his memory.

_Masaru Seishuku, you have been chosen._

"Chosen for what?" Masaru's voice echoed far off into the distance, hoping whatever was beyond the sea of white would answer.

_You shall become a legend, a hero between both the material and immaterial. Though, you will experience many days of pain and suffering, where not even He who governs the Sun will aid you. Do you still wish to accept this offer, knowing what you will go through?_

This information further confused Masaru. He would become a hero, but be subject to suffering in order to achieve the title. He had no idea what he was getting involved in, what pain he would experience, or even who "He who governs over the Sun" was. Still, Masaru didn't feel frightened. Perhaps it was the voice influencing his psyche, but Masaru felt as if accepting would be the right thing to do.

And so, the young teen let out two words: "I do." He said it with utter confidence, his voice loud and clear in the void of white.

Ten seconds. For ten long seconds, no one responded. Nothing happened, nothing moved. Masaru stood earnestly, wondering how the voice would react to his acceptance.

Without warning, a heavily digitized voice rang through the blank space, completely different from the voice from earlier. _MODULE ACCESSED. INITIALIZING PROGRAM._

Walls of code rained down in droves around Masaru, who was disoriented again. Once more, he felt the familiar sensation of falling, though he didn't seem to be falling in this odd reality. More images flashed through Masaru's mind. This time, however, they "filled" his head, putting much strain on his psyche. Quickly, he clutched his head, grimacing in pain as the imagery worked its way to the very core of his mind.

And then...

Black.

Everything was black. Masaru could see nothing. He couldn't feel his breath. He couldn't hear the downpour of digital code that had surrounded him earlier. Even the flashing images and pain they had wrought subsided.

Utter emptiness.

And then, only a split second later, Masaru's focus was brought back to the dark alleyway. He was in the exact same stance he had before he entered the void, as if his consciousness had been taken away and then brought back to reality just as soundly.

After several seconds of recollecting his thoughts, Masaru closed his outstretched hand to find that he was now holding a device.

The device was shaped very much like the letter, "D". Contained within it were a screen and two buttons, as well as a strap on then underside. Other than its shape, it looked like any other handheld device and certainly didn't stand out in the urban setting. Despite that, Masaru could very much feel something... A power, or energy of some kind, resonating from it.

"What is this?" Masaru tried pressing the buttons and tapping the screen, but the handheld would not boot up. _That voice... _he thought. _It gave me this thing for a reason. There's no way it'd hand it to me without checking if it were busted..._

Without warning, the device's screen immediately lit up. In shock, Masaru nearly dropped it, but managed to grab it before it hit the ground. After doing so, he felt a small shock course through his body. Masaru's mind went blank for a moment, but was brought back to reality just as quickly.

When he came to, Masaru didn't feel any different. He expected the shock to at least disorient him, but it left no lasting pain on his person. His thoughts, however, were interrupted by a quiet, otherworldly voice.

"Hello?"

The voice came from below, prompting Masaru to look down at his feet. Standing in front of him was a creature of some sort. He'd mistaken it for a rabbit initially, before taking into account its upright stance; odd belts around its body; and, of course, its ability to speak. Perhaps Masaru was simply hearing things, and the dark was messing with his eyesight, but there was no doubting the piercing pink eyes, and soft voice as its spoke once more.

"Who are you?"

Masaru stepped back. He wasn't sure if he should respond or not, to this rabbit-like creature suddenly standing there before him.

"Why are you scared? I-I just wanted to know your name..."

With the initial shock now wearing off, Masaru wondered why he was so frightened. Though it was otherworldly and alien in some ways, he couldn't detect any malice, from either its cute looks or childish voice. Now, its unusually large ears were bent down, like a puppy being scolded by its master. Fear was replaced with guilt as Masaru looked into begging eyes.

"I... I'm Masaru." He said it hesitantly, still cautious of how the creature would react.

"That's a nice name." Immediately, the creature's ears beamed back up, eyes glistening in the sun's radiance. "My name is Lunamon!"

_Odd name..._ Masaru thought, _But it doesn't look harmful. Maybe I'm worrying too much again..._

"You are."

Masaru gasped as he was brought out of his monologue.

"And by the way, I'm a girl, not an 'it.'"

"Wait!" Masaru yelled. "You-you're reading my mind, aren't you?"

Lunamon giggled. "Yes. You're my partner, so of course I should be able to read your thoughts through our mind link." She paused as Masaru gasped again. "And... judging by that thought, you don't know what I'm talking about."

Masaru nodded slowly.

"Hm, I guess you weren't told a whole lot about this..." Lunamon sighed after saying this.

"Hold on!" Masaru looked agitated again. "What's going on here? You're definitely not a regular animal, you can read my mind, _and_ we're supposed to be partners?" The whole idea was sounding very farfetched to him.

"Oh..." Lunamon looked directly into Masaru's eyes. "I'm not completely sure why I was partnered up with you. But there must be some reason! Something really important."

"Is that so..." Lunamon was only a little less confused than Masaru. Still, one question was at the forefront of his mind. "Um, just what are you, anyway?"

The little white creature pointed to herself. "Me? I'm a digital monster. Digimon for short!" She looked back at her partner, to see him in a state of shock. "What's wrong now?"

"A digital... monster?" The revelation was unnerving. All this time, Masaru was talking to a mass of data, who was a self-proclaimed "monster," no less.

"But um, I'm not actually monstrous. Do I look the type to take a bite of you or something? You look scared all of a sudden."

Masaru took a step back. _Maybe I can make a run for it. A monster, a beast... Who knows what horrible things it could do to me... _He started to run out of the alleyway, but stopped after hearing a soft sound from the other end.

Lunamon was crying. Her eyes were drenched with tears, and she let out soft sobs. Masaru turned around, slowly walking back toward the Digimon after seeing such a sight.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

After a small sniffle, Lunamon spoke up in a somber voice. "You really think I'm a monster? I-I'm just a Digimon, and we're not all bad! We're supposed to be partners and, and... you can't leave me. I'd be all alone in this world..."

Masaru understood. She really wasn't just a creature out to get him. She could feel joy and sadness, just like he could. She was stuck in a world that wasn't her own, seemingly to aid Masaru in some way. He prejudiced Lunamon, and nearly left her alone in a dark Tokyo alleyway...

"You're feeling sorry for me?" Lunamon brought Masaru back to reality again. She wiped away some of the tears drowning her eyes. "We're partners. And partners don't walk out on each other, right?"

Masaru looked back into Lunamon's eyes. Their really wasn't anything about her that looked frightening, making his swift judgement all the more wrong. "Right."

After hearing that word, Lunamon smiled. "I knew you were a good person. Masaru." He blushed at the mention of his name. "Does that mean I can stay with you?"

Masaru pondered for a moment. He wasn't sure how he would be able to bring home a bipedal rabbit-alien hybrid, much less hide her away from his parents. However, he couldn't abandon Lunamon again. He was reluctant, but finally managed to answer. "I guess I can take you home with me for now."

"Hooray!" The Digimon looked absolutely overjoyed. _What was I thinking?_ Masaru questioned his actions just a moment ago. _She, Lunamon, is just as much as 'person' as I am. Even if she is a "Digimon."_ He put his hands behind his head. _I can be such a wimp sometimes..._

A small tug on his sweater had Masaru look down at Lunamon. "Are we going now? This place is kind of scary."

Indeed, the sun was beginning to set, casting larger shadows on the alley. A great deal of time had passed since school ended, and no doubt Masaru's parents were beginning to get worried.

The young teen looked out into the cool autumn air, past the alleyway and out onto the Tokyo street. "We'll go now." He wasn't sure what he was getting himself into, but he knew one thing. Masaru would protect Lunamon.


	2. Outset

**Level 2 – Outset**

As Masaru expected, taking Lunamon home wasn't an easy task. The large metropolis that was Tokyo brimmed with people. Leaving the quiet street he had walked down earlier, the boy and his Digimon were met with large crowds of people passing them by.

Masaru carried Lunamon in his arms as if she were a stuffed toy, but her curiosity caused her to look around at the sights. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at a vehicle coming in from the distance. "That's a car," Masaru informed. "We use it to get to other places quickly." Though he was afraid of someone seeing Lunamon speak, Masaru found some enjoyment in teaching Lunamon about the world.

More problems arose once the two arrived in a more urban area. The area was dense with people, causing Lunamon to look around even more. Masaru became more nervous, as the likelihood of them being found out increased. The two made use of their mind link to communicate, though Masaru found it difficult to focus his thoughts.

_There's lots of people here_. Lunamon's thought echoed through the boy's mind. _Humans like to be around other humans, don't they?_

Masaru stopped at the edge of street, waiting for the crossing signal. _Well, isn't that a good reason for you to stop moving your head? Someone might see us._ He heard a quiet giggle come from Lunamon. _You worry too much._

Cars stopped on one side of the road as the crossing signal came on. Masaru and several other people began walking across. One man was dressed in a hooded cloak that concealed his face, giving off an odd presence.

_What's wrong?_ It was Lunamon. _Why'd you stop all of a sudden?_ Masaru pointed to the man as he passed them by. _There's something off about that guy._

"Hey, what are you doing, kid?" The voice came from one of the cars waiting on the adjacent road, while other drivers began honking at the boy. Masaru looked at the signal to see the countdown had ended, and ran across to the other street. "Sorry!" he yelped.

After regaining his wits, Masaru searched around the vicinity. To his surprise, the cloaked man was nowhere in sight. _He's disappeared..._ Lunamon looked up at him as she sent a reply. _He felt kind of different from everyone else._ _He could be a Digimon, too, but I couldn't tell for sure._

_Another Digimon_? One Digimon was enough for Masaru; to know that there may be more of them wasn't reassuring.

Despite that potential problem, he pushed the thought to the side of his mind as the two neared his apartment. The building stood tall over the prefecture, though it hardly stood out from the clusters of structures around the district. A long shadow was cast from it and darkened the street Masaru tread on, reminding him of their own lateness.

_We're home_. The boy pushed open the glass doors and entered the main lobby. _This is your home?_ Lunamon asked. _It's pretty big for one person._ Masaru couldn't help but smile as they waited for an elevator. _It's not like that. I only live in a small part of it._

The elevator doors finally opened, with Masaru, Lunamon, and other people boarding it. Masaru held Lunamon tightly, knowing she would stand out much more in a smaller area. _Whatever you do, don't move._

A small wink signified Lunamon's cooperation. However, a woman and her daughter eventually noticed the creature Masaru bore in his hands. "Oh, is that a new stuffed animal?" the mother asked. "I've never seen that design before." The little girl stared intently into Lunamon's eyes, causing the Digimon to shiver a little.

Masaru was alarmed, but came up with a quick story. "This? It's a, um... prize from a theme park event. That's why you don't see it in stores." The woman was intrigued. "Is that so?"

Before the woman could ask another question, her daughter poked Lunamon's head. This caused her to let out a soft but audible, "Ow!" The elevator's passengers were alarmed, Masaru more so. "Did it just talk?" one of the men asked.

"No, no, of course it didn't! That was just, just... something else!" Masaru attempted a short laugh to emphasize his point, but it only served to make the scene more awkward. The mother looked spoke up again. "But I was sure-"

Her further inquisition was cut off by the elevator ding, arriving at the twenty-third floor. Masaru ran out into the hallway. "I have to go now!" He heard the elevator doors close again, and let out a sigh of relief before looking down at the Digimon he cradled in his arms. _You're a handful, you know that?_ Lunamon giggled again.

The recent dilemma slipped Masaru's mind as he knocked on the door to his apartment. The boy and his Digimon were greeted by the former's mother.

"Masaru, you're late!" She was distressed by their late homecoming, as Masaru had expected. However, her face changed to one of of intrigue as she saw Lunamon in her son's arms. "Did it have something to do with that?"

With his mother bringing up a possible explanation, Masaru decided to play along. "Yeah, she was on display somewhere in Shibuya, and I knew I had to have her." It was a convincing story, but Masaru's mother was still skeptical.

"Aren't you a little too old for toys? I wouldn't give you an allowance if I knew you'd waste it on things like this."

"Cut him some slack, honey." The voice came from his dad, sitting on a sofa while reading a novel. "Masaru's still young, isn't he? A boy needs his toys."

In response, Masaru's mother looked back at her son and his alleged toy, before putting her hands on her hips and sighing deeply. "I suppose you're right, dear." She opened her eyes, still annoyed somewhat. "But don't think I'll let this slide more often, Masaru."

The boy bowed his head a little, to show some sincerity. "I promise I won't do something like this again for a while, mom." _I won't go looking for more Digimon, that's for sure..._

* * *

><p>Moonlight bled into the room from a gap between the curtains. Looking outside from the window sill, Lunamon basked in the radiance. "Wow, there's a moon in your world, too!"<p>

"There always has been." Masaru lay down on his bed, pondering the events of the day. The Digimon standing by the window proved that today's encounter was real, but part of him still couldn't take in the reality. Seeing Lunamon's ears perk up more than usual, Masaru continued on the subject she brought up. "You really like the moonlight, don't you?"

"Of course." The white creature turned around to display an equally radiant smile. "I _am_ Lunamon. Moonlight is what gives me my real energy!"

"Is that so?" There was apparently some meaning to her name, but Masaru couldn't see it. Though he was a good student, he would do well to take his English classes to heart for situations like these.

Masaru recounted the day's events again. Prior to meeting Lunamon, there was the strange light, the odd subspace it had lead him to, and the device he had been given afterwards. Surely, those three events had to be connected to Lunamon's arrival.

_Speaking of that thing..._ It was lying among some of Masaru's other belongings on a side table. Among the mess it didn't stand out quite as much, hopefully keeping Masaru's parents from tinkering with it. Masaru sat up and took the device in his hand.

"Hey, do you know anything about this?" He flashed the white screen at Lunamon. In turn, she examined the device, mesmerized by its presence. "I'm not entirely sure, but it's probably important."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I came from inside it."

Masaru was befuddled. He knew there was some correlation between the device and Lunamon, but for it to have been her container...

"My data's still embedded into its software. If I were you, I wouldn't lose it. Who knows, I might be a goner!" The playful glee in the Digimon's voice only made Masaru more uneasy about this information. _I-I have to protect this thing, too, don't I?_ He felt the same energy flowing from the device into his hand, and a similar aura emanating from Lunamon.

"Masaru!" His mother shouted from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!" The familiar scent of meat and miso soup wafted into Masaru's room.

"I'll be right there, mom!" He turned to Lunamon, confused by the scent. "I... have to go eat dinner now. Just stay and watch the moon, okay?" The Digimon nodded and turned her attention back to the evening light. _She's becoming more obedient,_ Masaru smiled. _Kinda like a pet._

"Masaru!" It was his father this time. "I'm coming, dad!" With that, he made for the door as Lunamon sat comfortably on the window sill.

* * *

><p>"How was the chicken?"<p>

"It was good. You ask the same thing every night, mom!"

"A cook needs to know these things, so it's only natural!"

With a full stomach, Masaru opened the door to his room. The taste of miso soup still fresh in his mouth gave him an idea. "Lunamon, are you hungry? If Digimon have to eat too, I can sneak some chocolate from the fridge..."

His offer was cut short upon seeing an empty window sill, and a cold draft breezing in through the open window. Immediately, Masaru began thinking the worst. _No, she wouldn't escape. Not after all I did to bring her here... But if she did, I'd never be able to find her!_

Possible dangers flitted through Masaru's mind, until he noticed a small, familiar silhouette standing out on the fire escape.

With haste, Masaru ran back out of his room and toward the balcony door from the living room. Of course, his mother and father were watching television, and questioned their son's sudden energy.

"Everything alright, Masaru?" His father looked up from the nightly news channel, the gleam in his glasses adding to concerned eyes.

"...Uh, yeah. I just want to see something outside, is all."

As expected, his mother was the more critical of the two. "But you have school tomorrow! I don't know what it is that got your attention, but it probably isn't worth having your marks drop again!"

"Mom, calm down!" He let out a slow breath to relax himself. "It won't take long. I promise."

"Is that so? The same way you 'promised' you wouldn't be home late today?"

"Dear, dear." Mr. Seishuku turned to his wife. "If he says it won't be long, it won't be long. All he wants is to see something out there."

She responded by crossing her arms. "Hmph. Fine, but only a few minutes. And stay on the balcony! The last thing I'd want is for you to fool around on the roof."

Masaru smiled at his dad, before returning his attention to his mother. "Okay, mom. I'll be back quick!"

With the chance given to him by his dad, Masaru opened the balcony door at last. Despite what his mother said only moments ago, he took several steps on to the fire escape. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed by the large ears and dazzling, patterned white fur of the figure sitting over the railing.

"Did you come to watch the moon too?" Lunamon smiled cheekily.

"Lunamon!" Anguish rang out in Masaru's yell. "I told you to stay and watch!"

The Digimon before him was simply confused. "I'm still watching it, though..." Innocent eyes shining in the moonlight told Masaru that she wasn't lying in her excuse.

The restless teen took a deep sigh and slumped over the rail. "Is something wrong, Masaru?" Street lights far below lit up Lunamon's face brilliantly. _What am I thinking, _Masaru thought, seeing the creatures worried red eyes. _She wouldn't abandon me after I did all that. Loyal as a dog..._ He smiled sheepishly coming to this realization.

"Nothing's wrong, Lunamon. I'm just over-thinking things again."

"You must be, because your mind's hard to read most of the time with all those big thoughts swirling around in there."

Masaru blushed slightly, remembering their mind link. He looked up at the sky, where evening radiance shone through the urban lights "Why do you like the moon so much?" he said lightly to change the subject.

A smile crept onto Lunamon's face. "There's lots and lots of reasons why I like it. But you probably wouldn't want to hear them all; that would take forever to explain!" She looked back up at the object she was describing. "I guess most of all, it's just... very beautiful, and it really stands out in the dark."

"Beautiful, huh..." Lunamon reminded Masaru of a sheltered little girl: sickeningly innocent and adorable, with an idealistic view of the world. Given her appearance, it wasn't all too surprising, but it added more to Masaru's understanding of the Digimon's sentience. _And to think, a few hours ago, I thought she was nothing but a monster..._

A sudden movement from Lunamon brought him out of his short peace. Shortly after, she got up and jumped off the railing, climbing up the fire escape while looking about.

"Where are you going?" Masaru began climbing up the stairs as well.

"I'm sensing something here... No, it's closer to the top..."

True to her word, Lunamon continued up to the roof of the apartment, Masaru behind her. The otherwise empty area was occupied by a satellite and some storage housings. Down below, cars rushed by on the prefecture street; Masaru gulped at the sight.

"You! I remember you!"

Even more alarmed by Lunamon's sudden shout, Masaru turned around to see her confronting an armed figure. It wielded a wooden club in its green hand, with a beastly face accompanied by a red mohawk reminiscent of rock stars Masaru had seen on TV. He was sure the creature wasn't human, and with Lunamon's outcry, the chance of it being a Digimon was very probable.

Lunamon noticed Masaru watching and confirmed his suspicions. _He's Goblimon, another Digimon!_ This news was less than pleasing for Masaru, who was momentarily baffled.

"'Ey, whassa matter?" Goblimon spoke in utter confidence, yet with a high voice; he reminded Masaru of an elementary school bully. He raised a crooked fingernail at the boy. "Dat human mean something to ya, girly?"

"He means a lot to me!" Lunamon's cheeks puffed out in anger as she yelled at the other Digimon. "He's my partner!"

Goblimon inspected Masaru with fiendish eyes, before bursting out into coarse laughter. "You sayin' you partnered up with a _human_? Dat's funny, 'cause he's a wimp! Fitting for a girly-girl, I guess."

He laughed again. Lunamon was still unamused, while Masaru took some steps back from fear, and later looked down in shame after hearing Goblimon's insult.

Lunamon interrupted Goblimon's insane laughter. "You're just jealous because you don't have a partner! You Goblimon talk big and all, but you don't live up to what you guys say!"

The green Digimon opened his eyes, his smirk twisting to become a frown. "Are ya kidding me? These humans are all the same: weak! Weaker than Sukamon! Dat's why I'm gonna kill each every one of 'em so I can have their world for myself!" He focused a devilish smile at Masaru. "Starting with _him_."

Masaru's heart jumped as he took several more steps back. Goblimon raised his club in response, walking toward Masaru slowly and teasingly. "Watch yer step! Ya wouldn't wanna fall down into dat traffic, would ya? Gwahahaha!"

The Digimon's prediction came to fruition as Masaru heard the sound of cars grow louder. He looked behind him to see the edge of the apartment and the road below. Fear overrode the boy's thoughts as he raised his arms in protection. "Aaaagh!"

The scream prompted another laugh from Goblimon, as the assailant drew ever closer to Masaru. Looking over his sleeves, the boy saw the Digimon raising his club higher, with a smirk and fierce eyes trained on its target.

The gruesome sight would be the last image Masaru would be left with, before...

"Gwaargh...!" Suddenly, there was a loud ripping sound, and Goblimon began to lose momentum. Realizing that the Digimon was falling, Masaru sidestepped seconds before his assailant fell hard on the apartment roof.

Blood was spilling from a spot around Goblimon's chest. Upon closer inspection, Masaru identified a small hole, implying that the creature had been pierced there. Goblimon looked up at the boy with weary eyes. "Heheh... Didn't know girly... had it... in her..."

His body began to evaporate into binary code, flowing up into the sky where it disappeared into the dark of night. Being that Digimon were composed of data, this didn't surprise Masaru much.

"I couldn't help it." Lunamon had her paw raised, an enlarged claw slowly shrinking. In the moonlight, her partner could clearly see blood. "He-he came at you, and there wasn't any other way to stop him. So, I... I killed him."

The reality of the situation began to hit Masaru. _Digimon... They really can be dangerous._ He took another glance at the blood on Lunamon's claw, and fell to his knees on the ground. Shivering heavily, tears began flowing from his eyes after realizing how close he had been to death.

Bowing his head and clutching the roof, Masaru let out out soft sobs. Something wrapped itself around the boy's arm and began shaking as well. Masaru looked up, wiping his tears to see Lunamon holding his arm and shivering violently. She was crying the same way she was when Masaru first met her, with her ears turned down and the blood from her claw staining her partner's blue sleeve.

Masaru looked up at the moon. Its light sparkled in Lunamon's tears, reminding him of their earlier discussion. Slowly, his hand found its way to Lunamon's head, petting it gently. The Digimon stopped shaking, and looked up at her partner. Masaru gave a weak smile, highlighted in the evening moonlight.

"Don't worry... Everything will be okay."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that concludes Chapter 2!**

**I didn't feel like adding an Author's Note at the end of Chapter 1, because these two chapters together make up the "Prologue."**

**Anyway, I hope the story so far has given you some good insight into Masaru and Lunamon. If you have any constructive criticism to share, please, feel free to review!**

**Up next in Chapter 3, some new characters! And potentially a (more fulfilling) battle!**


	3. Not Alone

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long! I really like to enjoy my Christmas break, and the chapter itself grew to be a lot longer than I expected. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it.**

**Julia Lucrezia Hanazono: Thanks! Unlike my previous stories, I'm hoping to actually finish this one. I'll try reading your fic whenever I have the time.**

**Bioniclefan234: I'm glad you find my characterization good, because I plan to make the story very character-driven. Grammar's always been my weak-point, but I'll try to fix it up for later chapters.**

**I'm afraid Bio-Merging won't be present in this series, but I plan to introduce a new concept very soon...**

**Level 3 – Not Alone**

The crossing signal came on. Masaru began walking across, mindful of the sports bag he carried in his left hand. The bag struck its carrier's legs as he walked on, resulting in a faint _Ow!_ echoing through his mind.

Masaru focused his thoughts as he neared the sidewalk. _Sorry, but I had to hurry across there_.

Lunamon's spiteful voice entered his head. _It isn't very comfortable in here, you know. Every time you walk like that, my ears take a beating!_

A quick sigh was all Masaru could muster. She'd insisted on going to school with him only half an hour before. "Partners have to stick together!" the Digimon said with gusto. And here she was now, complaining through their mind link.

This proved that taking care of Lunamon would be no easy task, if bringing her around was already tiresome. _Sneaking her away from mom and dad was hard, too..._

_It wasn't my fault! _Lunamon's thought was equivalent to a yell. _Your parents just don't trust you enough. Not as much you trust me, anyway._

Masaru smiled a little at how Lunamon perceived their relationship. _All I'm really worrying about is how I'm going to fake being on the basketball team._

_What's a "basketball?"_

Only then did it occur to Masaru that Lunamon didn't know about sports, either. _It's... a game that humans play._

_A game?_ Even through the mind link, Lunamon's curiosity was evident.

For the next several minutes of their walk, Masaru went on explaining the basics of basketball to Lunamon. The Digimon found the idea very fun, comparing it to a game of "Mamemon Shot" from her own world. As always, Masaru was fascinated by how quickly Lunamon learned.

The two soon came to a subway station, boarding a train to Omotesando. The usual morning rush brought many students and workers with it, so the cramped space didn't surprise Masaru. Finding a seat near the back, he set down Lunamon's bag beside him and sat in silence, filtering out the noise around him.

After several minutes of the train's screeching and the commotion going on around them, Lunamon noticed her partner's sudden silence. _Why are you quiet all of a sudden?_ _...Is it about last night?_

Masaru left no reply, but Lunamon could sense anxiety from him. For the first time, she decided not to question her partner further on the matter.

Though he was suspicious of Lunamon's sudden silence, Masaru simply closed his eyes and held the bag tightly, the chatter surrounding him slowly dissolving away. He was only awoken from this isolation by a quick chime of "Omotesando General Station."

* * *

><p>Leaves fell gracefully from the trees as cars rushed by in the blink of an eye. The night before had Masaru forget about the onset of Autumn. The mesh of nature in the urban environment never ceased to amaze Masaru, who slowed his pace accordingly.<p>

_Hey, why did you slow down?_ The question reminded the speechless boy that Lunamon, cooped up in her bag, wasn't able to take in the sights. He was tempted to let her out, but others taking the sidewalk kept Masaru from doing so.

_Nothing. I'm just tired._ It wasn't a complete lie, as Masaru had slept very little. _Unless, of course, you want me to walk _faster_..._

_No! No! This speed is just right for my ears._

Masaru smiled again, anticipating such a response. True to his word, he continued at the same steady pace, as they neared Tenarai Middle School.

The school itself wasn't anything special; it looked like an ordinary middle school, albeit somewhat large. The grey architecture made a striking contrast to the blue of the sky, with the main tower reaching up into the skyline. The tower's analog clock read eight forty-eight; classes began at nine o'clock sharp, so Masaru started walking more briskly upon taking a glance.

_Ow! You're walking too fast again!_

Masaru ignored Lunamon's cry as he made his way through the courtyard. Other students were in the vicinity, talking, playing, and generally goofing off. Masaru mostly ignored them, approaching the front entrance.

As he passed through the basketball court, he felt something hard knock his left hand, in turn dropping Lunamon's bag. Masaru quickly bent down to recover it, the Digimon contained within asking what the impact was. Before he could answer, Masaru noticed a basketball by the wall and picked it up.

"Hey!" another boy at the other side of the court yelled out to him. "Give it here!"

Masaru walked over to him and passed the ball, earning a chuckle from the boy and his friends. "Man," the boy said with a smug smile, "You could have just _thrown_ the ball, you know."

"I'm not that great with my throws," Masaru admitted, shrugging.

The other boy put a shoulder on his arm. "Heh, I see. Don't worry about it. I mean, I used to be an amateur like you!"

The boys gave out another laugh, proceeded by a soft giggle in Masaru's mind that could only be Lunamon.

"But hey," the boy looked Masaru in the face, squinting, "I swear I've seen you before... Seishuku, right?"

"Masaru," Masaru corrected him, adjusting his goggles. "Seishuku Masaru."

The boy snapped his fingers in realization. "Oh yeah! You're the guy who's always wearing those goggles! You must do a lot of cosplay, bro."

"Actually, I wear them for-"

"Which reminds me, bet you want to know who I am, right?" He fixed the fringe of his grey hair, before pointing to himself and giving a cocky grin. "I'm Dokyou Shibutoi, Tenarai's finest on the basketball court!"

_I've seen him before, too, _Masaru thought.

Lunamon was intrigued to hear her partner finally talk to another person besides his parents. _He a friend of yours?_

_Not really. I mean, I barely even know him._

_This would be a good chance to make a friend, then!_

_Making friends...?_

Shibutoi interrupted their mind conversation, drawing attention to Lunamon's bag. "Hold on a second... You're planning on joining the team, aren't you?"

"Huh? Oh, no! I'm not joining any teams."

"Come on," Shibutoi was smirking again, "You can't fool me. Just nervous about trying out, aren't you? In that case..." He turned to this friends, holding up the basketball and shouting energetically. "We're having a game after school in honour of Seishuku here!"

There was much rejoicing and ranting from the boys, while Masaru was left bewildered.

Shibutoi turned back to Masaru. "If you're gonna get on the team, you need to be taught by the best! How about it?"

"Um, I guess..."

"Then it's settled!"

The warning bell rang, signifying five minutes before class. Shibutoi and his boys, along with all the other students outside, began making their way to the front entrance. The former gave a thumbs up and sly smile as he entered the school. "Be here at three o'clock!"

Masaru was stood in place, the morning rush passing him by. _What did I just myself into?_

_Can you think more deeply about that later?_ The people passing by were knocking into Lunamon's bag. _My ears are starting to feel numb!_

Understanding her pain, Masaru started on his way as well. He climbed his way up the main tower to his locker, where he retrieved his gym uniform and ran off to class.

* * *

><p>The bell rang as the main tower's clock arrived at three o'clock.<p>

On the second floor, a goggle-clad boy struggled to get his sweat shirt on, stuffing his sweater and jeans into his backpack messily.

_Are you sure about this?_ Lunamon's voice resonated from the bag beside him.

Masaru zipped up his bag and closed his locker. _Shibutoi's already expecting me, so I can't back out now._ He picked up Lunamon's bag and started down the stairs.

_You know, I felt something off about him,_ she informed.

"_Off?"_

_He had a different aura to him. Well, every person's aura is different, but that guy's just stood out, sort of like yours._

_What do you mean by-_

"Seishuku!" The call came from the basketball hoops, which contained Shibutoi and his friends from earlier in the morning. As usual, they were upbeat, all sharing similar grins of confidence. Masaru ran over to them, eliciting another sound of pain from his discomforted partner.

"So you were lying, weren't you?" One of the boys said, skeptical of Masaru's hesitance earlier. "You sure you're up for this?"

"Uh..." Masaru took a step back as the others agreed with the boy.

"Hey! Hey!" Shibutoi wasn't amused by his group's prejudice. "If he wants to play, let him play! We're here to teach him the ropes, aren't we?"

The boys stopped talking and nodded in agreement. Lunamon was impressed. _Looks like he's top dog, huh?_

Before he could respond, Masaru caught a basketball one of the boys lobbed at him.

"Game's on!" Shibutoi signalled to his side. "You're on our team, 'kay?"

Masaru nodded, setting his backpack and Lunamon's bag by the wall with the other boys' belongings._ Stay in here, _he instructed. _If someone sees you, stay still the best you can_.

_I've got it. Good luck out there!_

"What's taking so long?" A yell came from the opposing team. "Seishuku's not gonna back out, is he?"

Masaru ran back to the court in response. "I'm here!"

"Okay. Let's go!"

For the next half hour, Masaru, Shibutoi, and the boys played two games. Masaru wasn't too proud of his abilities on the court, but Shibutoi and his teammates slowly taught him the correct way to dribble, how to pivot, and shooting techniques. Soon, Masaru gained more confidence; although he only scored once, he was content to know his skills were improving.

Meanwhile, Lunamon poked her head through her bag's pocket. She watched the game cautiously, fascinated to see her partner so involved.

After the game, the boys changed and started to leave for home one by one, until only Masaru and Shibutoi remained. Masaru went over to Lunamon and his backpack and slumped against the wall, lack of sleep and exhaustion having worn him out. Shibutoi soon came over after taking a drink, slumping against the wall as well with gloved hands behind his back.

"Not bad, Seishuku! Your goal at the end was killer." He was still lax and energetic after playing, a strange contrast to his fatigued teammate.

Masaru wiped the sweat off of his brow. "Yeah, I surprised even myself."

_It surprised me, too!_ Lunamon's cheeky voice butted into Masaru's thoughts. _You should let me play sometime!_

Shibutoi gave a small shrug. "What's there to be surprised about? When you put in the effort, the results are bound to be good!" He gave Masaru a thumbs up. "Keep it up, and you could be as great as me one day!"

Masaru smiled. "You think so? I guess I'll need more practice, then." After several more minutes of rest, he stood up and adjusted his backpack, holding Lunamon's bag tightly in his hand.

Shibutoi looked up at the goggle-clad boy. "Leaving already?"

"It's getting late, and I don't have anything else to do here."

"All alone?" He looked out toward the metropolitan area, which was packed with people coming and going, and afternoon traffic lining the road. "It'd be a good idea to go with some friends, bro."

Masaru looked down. "I... don't have anyone to walk home with. But I'll be fine. I've gone home by myself for the longest time."

Shibutoi stood up, a look of determination on his face. "That's not right! I'll go with you."

Masaru and Lunamon were equally baffled. Masaru finally managed an, "Are you sure?"

"'Course! A team player never abandons his teammates! That and... my pals already left earlier."

Masaru sighed. "Okay, but only because you insist."

"All right!" Shibutoi gave him a brotherly punch to the shoulder. "Feels like you're already part of the crew, Seishuku."

"Part of the crew..."

"We should be going now, eh? Just gimme a second to fix up my bag."

Shibutoi went through his backpack, sorting through binders, textbooks, and clothes. As he did so, a girl came out of the school's front doors. Her brown hair danced in the wind as she made for the sidewalk, hardly noticing the two boys on her way.

Lunamon took a particular interest in her, and decided to inform her human partner. _Masaru, I'm sensing another weird aura nearby._

_Another one like Shibutoi's?_

_Yeah, to your right, a bit ahead of you._

Masaru looked in the described direction. He spotted the girl, whom he immediately recognized. She was Iyoku Haruko, his class's student representative. The two hardly interacted, but that didn't keep Masaru from easily identifying her.

His thoughts were very straightforward at that point, leaving Lunamon with an easy mind to read. _So, you know her already?_

_She's in my class, and part of student council. Everyone knows her._

"Hey," Shibutoi finished zipping his bag up and noticed Masaru's stare. "What are you-" He stopped upon seeing Haruko slowly walking away in the distance. "Oh, _I_ see what's going on here."

"What are you talking about?" Masaru turned to see a mischievous smile planted on Shibutoi's already smug face.

"You can't play dumb with me, Seishuku! You were staring right at Iyoku, weren't you? I never would have guessed you had your eye on her!"

"W-what?" Masaru blushed, flustered after hearing Shibutoi's wild presumption. "Th-that's not it. She just caught my attention-"

"Ohohoho! 'Caught your attention?' So it's love at first sight!"

Though she felt guilty for getting Masaru into this situation, Lunamon couldn't keep herself from giggling at Shibutoi's misunderstanding.

Her partner, meanwhile, tried his best to change the other boy's mind. "Shibutoi, you-"

"Iyoku's a student rep... If you get close to her, you could convince her to put more funds into the sports side of things!" He paused for a moment and looked up at the sky, imagining brand new uniforms for his crew. "It's settled! You've gotta confess your undying love for her right now!"

His order confused Masaru even more. "_Now_? But-"

"My brother always told me that you've gotta admit your feelings as soon as possible! No use bottling them up, am I right?" Shibutoi looked at Masaru, who was still hesitant to take action. "...I see. Well, if you're not going to do it," he grinned again and started running in Haruko's direction, "I'll tell her myself!"

Masaru stood in shock for a moment, before breaking out into a sprint to stop him. "Wait!" Lunamon's bag struck his side again on the way, but the end of the Digimon's giggling made Masaru more relieved than apologetic.

By the time both boys reached Haruko, Masaru was already panting. Shibutoi, with his unmatchable endurance, called out to the girl. "Hey, student rep! Iyoku!"

"Yes?" Haruko turned around, eyeing the two boys. She noticed Masaru out of breath, and asked, "Is it something urgent?"

"Actually," Shibutoi gestured toward Masaru, "Seishuku here would like to confess his undying love for you!"

"His what?"

For a second, there was a complete silence. Masaru stood dumbly in a state of shock; Shibutoi looked at the boy, his expression trying to encourage him; Haruko just watched Masaru, curious but very composed. Meanwhile, Lunamon tried her best not to explode into a fit of laughter.

A strong wind blew, snapping Masaru out of his trance. "He's wrong. I-I don't think of you that way, Haruko." He looked down, face reddening.

"Hey, man!" Shibutoi pointed dramatically at the flustered teen. "You can't tell such a bogus lie! The way you were staring at Iyoku earlier... There couldn't be any other reason!"

Haruko looked at the distraught Masaru. "You... were staring at me?" Strangely, she didn't sound offended by that news.

Masaru looked up. "No, it's nothing like that. You see-" He noticed that Haruko was making eye contact with him and paused abruptly. Becoming flustered again, he tried explaining further, but only managed to stutter before stopping altogether.

"Come on, Seishuku!" Shibutoi had his hands balled into fists, awaiting Masaru's explanation. "Tell her the truth! About your fiery passion!"

"Would you quit it?" Haruko asked him angrily, her once calm demeanour now becoming annoyed. "Stop pressuring him! He says it isn't a crush, so it isn't!"

"Oh come _on_, you know it can't be anything else!"

"And what if it isn't?"

"It has to be!"

"See, that's the problem! You keep insisting-"

"Stop!" Masaru couldn't bear to see them arguing further. He let out a deep breath. "I'll tell you."

"I knew I was right!" Shibutoi exclaimed in victory. His outburst scored a glare from a less-than-pleased Haruko. The two turned their attention back to Masaru.

_Ooh, are you really gonna tell them about me? _Lunamon asked.

_I don't know how_, Masaru replied, _But I'll try. _He looked at the other two teens earnestly before closing his eyes. "Haruko, Shibutoi was right. I was looking at you earlier."

"Score!"

"Uh..."

Haruko looked confused again, but Masaru carried on. "But it wasn't because I, well... liked you or anything. It was because... Huh?"

Out of nowhere, a small light appeared between the three students. It slowly grew to become a sphere of radiance, illuminating their awestruck faces. Masaru was hit with deja vu upon recognizing it as the light from yesterday.

"Whoa..." Haruko said, mesmerized.

"What is this?" Shibutoi was just as dazed, and reached out to touch it. Before Masaru could make sense of what he'd just done, the light flickered in Shibutoi's hand. It slowly started growing, enveloping the Tokyo street.

The three teens instinctively covered their eyes. Masaru was the first to take a peek, knowing what to expect. They were now standing in a white void, exactly the same way he had the day before. "It's okay to look now," he told the other two.

Slowly, Shibutoi and Haruko let their arms fall, both entranced by the blank space they were in. "Where are we?" Shibutoi asked nervously. "Aw man, did we just die?"

Haruko crossed her arms. "It's because of that light, isn't it? You shouldn't have touched it, you _idiot._"

"What did you just call me?"

"We're in a DigiField." The soft voice came from Masaru's side. There, Lunamon floated gleefully in the open space, her bag seeming to have disappeared.

Her presence elicited a small scream of surprise from Haruko, and a look of intrigue from Shibutoi. "What is that thing?" They cried in unison.

Before Masaru could say anything, Lunamon spoke up. "I'm Masaru's partner, Lunamon! What am I? A digital monster, or Digimon as we're usually called!"

Haruko brought her hand down from her mouth. "You mean to say..."

"You've been carrying that thing around with you, Seishuku?" Shibutoi was surprisingly quick on the uptake; Masaru suspected he found something off about the bag earlier. The gogglehead nodded slowly, not sure what to say.

"But, why?" Haruko asked, still fearful of Lunamon.

"Because it is fate." A loud voice boomed throughout the endless void. Masaru recognized it as the one who beckoned him before. The other two, however, jumped at the words suddenly ringing in their ears. "You have done well, Seishuku Masaru. Uniting two of the others destined for your journey in one day is no small feat."

"A journey?" Haruko asked.

"With Seishuku?" added Shibutoi.

"Yes. It will be perilous and full of hardship. Many days of suffering await you all, yet you shall be rewarded with a far brighter future. Masaru has already accepted his fate, and you two shall embark with him, or leave him to his own path. Knowing this, do you still wish to accept your destiny?"

The two pondered the voice's words before turning to Masaru. He knew exactly what their pleading eyes were asking him, and nodded. "He's right. I accepted an offer like this yesterday."

Haruko was skeptical. "So you did... But, what kind of 'journey' are you on?"

"I don't know," Masaru answered, turning his head to the side. "I just thought that going through with it would be the right thing." He looked down at a smiling Lunamon.

Though Haruko was still unconvinced, Shibutoi turned his attention to the sea of white before them. "Well, if Seishuku says it's okay... Then it's fine with me, too!"

Haruko sighed, her head still spinning from all that was going on. Still, she saw no reason not to accept if the other two boys did. She was supposed to be a leader, after all. With that ideal in mind, she faced the white void and said confidently, "I'll join them."

To their surprise, the voice failed to respond. Masaru knew perfectly well what would come in a few seconds, but decided to keep quiet.

"Uh, did we say something wrong?"

In response to Shibutoi, a heavily digitized voice ran clear through the space. "MODULE ACCESSED. INITIALIZING..." Like last time, lines of code began raining down into the void. Shibutoi and Haruko clutched their heads, groaning in pain.

Meanwhile, Masaru's very consciousness was taken away to a dark room, with only a silhouette visible from the small source of light. _Go on_, it seemed to be saying, _Your trials and tribulations begin now._ There was that familiar sensation of falling following the message, before everything blanked out of the boy's mind. _Do not be afraid_.

His dark hair rustled in the breeze, the cold tinging his face a slight a red. Ahead of him, cars rushed on the nearby intersection. Masaru snapped back to reality, still clutching Lunamon's bag as if no time had passed at all. Shibutoi and Haruko were both dazed, staring blankly into the distance.

"We're back?" was Shibutoi's initial reaction. "That wasn't all a dream, was it? I mean, you guys were both there and all."

"Just try not to do that again," Haruko scoffed.

"Well, it wasn't a dream." Masaru unzipped Lunamon's bag, revealing the mammalian Digimon to the other two teens. "Hi again!" she said gleefully.

Haruko backed away in surprise. "You-you really weren't kidding about bringing it around with you..."

"She's the real reason why I was, uh, looking at you," Masaru explained. "She said there was a weird aura coming from you."

"A weird aura, huh?" Overcoming the initial shock, she peeked into the bag and eyed Lunamon with an eyebrow raised. "I don't smell that bad, do I?" She continued to examine the Digimon, before arching her mouth into a smile. "You're kinda cute for a monster."

"Thanks!" chimed Lunamon. _I think I like her_.

_Is it because I don't compliment you enough?_ Masaru replied.

"Hey, Seishuku." Shibutoi had been eyeing Lunamon as well, before turning to Masaru in disdain. "You've been hiding her from me all this time?" He balled his hands into fists. "If we're going to be bros on a journey like that voice said, you can't be keeping secrets like that!"

His gloved hand grasped something hard, prompting him to bring the hand up to his face. "Hey," Shibutoi called out, holding up a device, "Did you guys give me this? I don't remember having it before that voice called us." It was blazing red in colour and shaped like a "D." Masaru identified it as the same handheld he'd been given before, though his own was a deep blue.

"Looks like I have one, too." Haruko also held another device, identical to theirs, except for the soft yellow hue.

Masaru reached into his pocket, pulling out his own as well. "They were from the voice. I got my own yesterday."

"What are they for?" Haruko asked."

"I don't really know, to be honest."

Suddenly, the devices' screens flashed on. Before they had time to react, both Haruko and Shibutoi paused, there eyes wide in a near-catatonic state.

"Guys, are you okay?" Masaru was afraid, before remembering that small lapse following his own device turning on. He was relieved a second later when the two brought their heads back in surprise.

"What happened?" Shibutoi was still disoriented.

"That was just plain weird," Haruko said. She felt a small tug at her jeans, signalling her to look down. Upon doing so, she let out another scream. Shibutoi also felt something poke his side. He looked down and was similarly shocked by a creature standing at his feet.

The one near Haruko scratched the purple petals atop its head with a long purple claw. "I'm sorry, did I frighten you?" She extended a leafy green arm, but Haruko backed away fearfully. "D-don't come any closer!" the girl cried.

The other creature by Shibutoi crossed its furry orange arms. "Hey now, we're not gonna bite you or anything, darling!" He looked up at Shibutoi, who still sported an incredulous expression. "You've got a cooler head than her, don't ya?"

With the way events unfolded up until now, Masaru knew exactly what these beasts were. "Hold on. Just who are you two?"

The two creatures turned their attention away from the other two students – much to Haruko's relief – and pointed to themselves. "Us?"

The orange beast beside Shibutoi adjusted his goggle smugly. "Coronamon at your service!"

The other creature smiled pleasantly, closing its large black eyes. "And you can call me Aruraumon."

Masaru bit his lip, his suspicions now confirmed. "Digimon... You two are Digimon."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that concludes Chapter 3! I was surprised it turned out so long, but it's probably for the better. In fact, I had originally planned to add in a small cliffhanger before realizing I had gone up to eight pages in OpenOffice.**

**As promised, two new characters were introduced in the way of Shibutoi and Haruko. I made sure to focus on them somewhat after giving Masaru enough of a spotlight in the first two chapters, even though Haruko was a little squeezed in toward the end.**

**As for their Digimon... Well, Coronamon is an obvious choice considering Lunamon's role (The character field of the description makes it a dead giveaway.) I've also had Aruraumon in mind a for a while, but I'm still thinking up her evolutionary tree. **

**I'm not very good at writing dialogue, especially lengthy conversations, so I apologize if the dialogue doesn't feel quite right. Yet another thing I hope to improve on.**

**Up next, the first real battle!**


	4. Encounter

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took even longer than the last! Exams were this month, and I had a ton of schoolwork to do in between studying.**

**I'm not sure if this chapter is worth the wait, but I believe to be better than Chapter 3 at least. Hope you guys enjoy!**

**Level 4 – Encounter**

"Digimon... You two are Digimon."

"That's right!" Coronamon smiled at Masaru. "You sure know tons about us already, guy."

Haruko, who still stood away from Aruraumon cautiously, was reminded of Lunamon upon hearing Masaru's declaration. "So that means... you two are like her?" She pointed at the bag Masaru held in his arm, which was now empty. "Huh?"

Lunamon had already hopped out of her bag, scurrying over to Coronamon. "Lunamon!" The two Digimon shared a high-five. "Fancy seein' you here, Luna."

"I could say the same thing!"

"Cool, so you two know each other?" Shibutoi bent down to their level. He smiled heartily, obviously no longer afraid of the creatures at his feet. "Guess even little things like you have pals." He pet Coronamon's furry head, much to the Digimon's chagrin. "Not the 'do! We may be partners, but you're gettin' a little too comfortable, guy."

Shibutoi brought his hand back. "Partners?"

Coronamon pointed to the device the boy held in his other hand. "You're the one with my Digivice, right? That means I've been paired up with ya for a big adventure!"

Lunamon put a paw to her mouth. "Digi-vice? I wasn't told anything like that when I came here."

"Actually," Coronamon rubbed his head. "I got no clue either. Musta been embedded into my mind or somethin'. Who knows who put us inside those things, anyway?"

"Digivice..." Masaru examined his own blue gadget. The name was very fitting, though he did not know why. He brought his hand back down to see Coronamon looking straight up at him, and then Haruko.

"Look, those two've got Digivices, too!" The blue guy's you're partner, ain't he, Luna?" She gave a small nod and smiled at her partner.

Meanwhile, Aruraumon's attention was trained on Haruko's hand, spotting the yellow Digivice it held. "What luck! Turns out we're partners after all."

She advanced closer to the girl. Haruko continued to back away from the Digimon, but soon tripped and fell hard on the grass. She saw Aururaumon nearing her, her crooked smile lined with little green fangs. Frozen with fear, Haruko raised her arms up over her face. "Stay away! Please... don't hurt me!"

Her yells of terror rang through Masaru's ears. He recalled his initial reaction to Lunamon, the way he had nearly abandoned her. The guilt still pulled at his heart, whenever he saw his partner smile at him... "Haruko!" he called out to her. She put her arms back down, staring wide-eyed at Masaru as he went on. "Don't be afraid. She won't hurt you."

His voice was strong and sure, different from the timid boy Haruko had known from her class. Heeding his words, she looked up at Aruraumon, who extended a leafy arm. She slowly reached out and grabbed it. With her and the Digimon's strength, she was pulled up off the grass. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Har, Haru..."

"Haruko."

"Haruko..." Aruraumon thought the name over, before smiling. "That's a pretty name." The petals on her head waved in the wind, a stray leaf landing on one of them.

Brushing the leaf off, Haruko felt the leathery yet smooth surface of the petal. Aruraumon truly resembled a violet flower, which Haruko found pretty as well.

"See, they're nothing to be afraid of! " Shibutoi lay on the grass, having been tackled to the ground by the playful Lunamon and Coronamon.

"You're way too trusting, you know?," Haruko commented. The boy just smiled and laughed a little in response.

Masaru smiled as well, pleased to see everyone getting along. Another breeze blew through the empty street, a leaf sailing over his head toward Shibutoi and the two Digimon.

Coronamon, who had been chasing Lunamon around his partner, stopped to see the orange foliage fly through the air. "Hey, betcha I can catch that killer leaf before you do!" The excited Digimon began running down the street, his old friend tagging along. "Not if I beat you to it!"

"Wait! Stop!" Masaru called out to the two creatures, but the distance and wind growing harsher by the second obscured his message.

"What's the matter, Seishuku?" Shibutoi, with hands behind his head, was indifferent to the situation. "When you get back together with old friends, the first thing you do is have fun! Just kick back, relax, and... Ow!"

He rubbed his head, which had been given a good kick by Haruko. The unamused girl gave him a cold look. "Idiot, they might get seen by someone else!" She started running down the sidewalk with Aruraumon close behind. "Use your head!"

Masaru gave an apologetic smile. "She _is_ right."

Shibutoi stood up, still rubbing his aching head. "Aw man, why'd she have to- Hey!" Masaru had already broke off into a sprint toward Haruko. Shibutoi dusted off his pants and chased after them. "You can't just leave a guy behind!"

The area was eerily empty, something Masaru noted as he dashed through the street. _Good thing no one's here... Although, Shibutoi's yelling could have fooled me._ After making this wry comment in his head, Haruko stopped dead in her tracks before him, searching the vicinity. "Did you lose them?"

"There they are!" Haruko and Aruraumon ran west, into a dense grove of trees. Masaru stopped to catch his breath.

"Worn out already?" Shibutoi had already caught up to him and rounded the bend. "I thought you were stronger than that, Seishuku!"

Remembering their talk about his potential earlier, Masaru took a deep breath before running after him. _I'm not done yet._

He soon stopped in front of a large oak tree, where the other five had gathered. Lunamon held up the leaf triumphantly, while Coronamon looked away and pouted. "I just got new world lag, that's all."

Shibutoi bent down to pet his partner. "Come on, it was totally fair. You even got a head-start! If we're going to be partners, you have to get stronger and win no matter what!."

"Hmph, I still say it was rigged." The orange Digimon fixed his fur and adjusted his goggles. "And didn't I tell you to stop with that messin' with the 'do?"

"How else am I supposed to show you some brotherly love?"

"Well, pettin' me like a dog ain't brotherly!"

"Oh, then you'd prefer a nice, brotherly bear hug? Come here!"

"Stay away, ya big lug!"

Around the tree, Coronamon ran from a open-armed Shibutoi, much to the others' amusement. Among the fiery Digimon's yelps and his partner's insistence, Masaru could hear Haruko and Aruraumon giggling as they exchanged looks. _Looks like they've found out the __mind link._

_That makes one less thing to explain_, Lunamon added.

After several more minutes of the hot pursuit, Shibutoi emerged form behind the tree, carrying a sheepishly smiling Coronamon in his arms. "Heheh... you put up a good chase."

"Are you two finished?" Haruko interjected. "It's getting late, and I don't to be stuck babysitting you two idiots."

Indeed, the sun had already begun to set, tinting the sky an orange hue and casting great shadows from the trees around them. Masaru feared what his parents would think of him, after he'd already came home late the day before.

"Yeah, I guess we got a little carried away." Shibutoi set Coronamon down on the ground. "You ready to go, Seishuku? ...Seishuku?"

His message was muffled by a loud rustling from the bushes. An onslaught of thick green vines emerged from the clusters of leaves, grabbing the closest target it could find – Lunamon. "Eeeeeek!" The white Digimon flailed her arms around helplessly as she was carried away from Masaru's side.

"What was _that_?" Haruko asked incredulously.

"A Digimon!" claimed Shibutoi. "It's gotta be a Digimon!"

"How would you know that?"

"Whatever! It doesn't matter! We should be going after it!"

"Oh, uh, right!" She and Aruraumon started in the direction Lunamon had disappeared to, soon vanishing into the haze of greenery.

Masaru still stood in place awkwardly with a dumbfound continued to stare into the endless vegetation, recounting his carelessness. Staring down at the bag he held, Masaru blamed himself for not keeping her closer to him. _I... I never should have let her out. No, I shouldn't have brought her with me in the first place..._

"Seishuku!" Shibutoi yelled angrily, shocking Masaru who was used to hearing more upbeat shouts from him. "Quit wasting time and go after Iyoku!"

Masaru gave a weak nod before the two boys and Coronamon ran through where Haruko had passed moments ago. The grove was thick, dense with overhanging branches and shrubbery slowing their progress. With the sun setting in the distance, the whole area was enveloped in twisting, almost sinister shadows.

After a seemingly endless trek, the three reached a small clearing. The trees grew more compact further on, with only several paths that they might be able to traverse.

"Which way do we go?" Shibutoi asked.

Masaru looked through their available choices. The paths seemed to twist and turn, and with night approaching, the three didn't have time to spare checking all of them out. Uncertainty took hold of Masaru's mind, his fear of losing Lunamon, and perhaps even Haruko and Aruraumon, growing.

"Shibutoi," he called out lightly, "Maybe we should just go back. We can't find them now, and it's already-" Turning around, he found the duo had vanished.

"This way!" Shibutoi's voice beckoned him from the east.

Instinctively, Masaru ran in that direction. Through more trees and branches he found a tuft of fur of a familiar orange colour. It turned out to be Coronamon, riding atop Shibutoi's head precariously. "Took you long enough! Man, do you usually space out like that?"

Coronamon pointed a finger behind Shibutoi. "It's comin' from over there, boss." Shibutoi started walking briskly in the direction he described, Masaru following along beside the two.

"Um..." Masaru pointed at the orange beast perched on the other boy's head.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you! Turns out Digimon can sense other Digimon if they're in close range! Comes in kinda handy, huh?"

"I guess so."

"Well, you better stop guessing, 'cause this is our ticket to finding that Digimon!"

Only a short moment later, the three stumbled upon a figure enveloped in the shadows of the trees. Masaru, fearing the silhouette he could slightly make out, stopped abrupty. Shibutoi continued going on, hardly noticing his comrade disappearing from his side.

"Uh boss... Are you sure 'bout goin' up to that thing?" Coronamon tugged at the boy's hair more tightly, agitated as well.

"Why wouldn't we? We're here to give it a good beating and save Lunamon! Isn't that right, Seishuku?" Shibutoi now noticed Masaru's absence, looking behind him to find the other boy frozen in place.

"You okay, bro?"

Masaru didn't respond, though he shivered ever so slightly.

"C'mon! There's nothing to be afraid of! Just keep going and we'll find our target soon enough and get Lunamon back!" Shibutoi walked forward to demonstrate his point. "See, nothing scary here. Just like walking through the park, eh?"

After a small contemplation, Masaru decided to go on. _If we are close to finding Lunamon, I may as well._ No sooner had he taken five steps before Shibutoi bumped into something before him, the figure letting out a shriek.

"Eeeek!"

"Aaaahhh!"

Shibutoi ran back toward Masaru screaming, Coronamon nearly falling off his from a combination of speed and surprise. Masaru felt the need to flee as well, before the mysterious figure emerged from the darkness.

Out of the cascading branches and their shadows, came a familiar girl with chestnut hair, alongside a green Digimon. "Haruko!" Masaru ran over to her.

"Where... were... you?" Haruko said through pants. "We've been looking for Lunamon _and_ you guys for ten minutes!"

Shibutoi came up and smiled cheekily. "Ah, it's just you, Iyoku! Seishuku and I were just finding our way through like real bros! ...We probably shouldn't have left you there, but it all worked out!"

"'All worked out?'" Haruko balled her fists, her fury having alleviated her exhaustion. "We nearly get lost inside some crazy forest, and you're acting like this isn't a big deal? It's getting late, we could die, and even if we survive, we probably won't even find our way back!" She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. "Sheesh... I wouldn't have gone on this 'journey' if it meant partnering up with idiots like you!"

Shibutoi prepared for a rebuttal, but ended up looking away angrily. Haruko looked away as well, with a "Hmph" for emphasis as she crossed her arms. Aruraumon looked up at her partner sincerely, but was only ignored. Coronamon hopped off Shibutoi's head, walking over to Masaru's side.

"Psst, blue guy," he whispered, "The Digimon we're after... he's here somewhere."

Masaru stared at him wide-eyed. "Right here, right now?"

"Yeah, should be a couple feet away. I'd tell the boss, but that girl's worked him up somethin' fierce." He paused as the two glanced at the other two students, who were still silently furious. "See what I mean?"

Guilt hit Masaru hard, feeling responsible for his and Shibutoi's lateness. Swallowing his shame, he instead focused on the task at hand. "So it's around here... Where, exactly?"

"Over there." Coronamon gestured in a direction packed with trees. "Ain't too far out from here. I can lead ya there!" With that, he jumped up and grabbed a low branch and began swinging from tree to tree. Masaru went after him, wary of the hazards in his way.

The sound of crushing leaves and soft footsteps alarmed Haruko and Shibutoi, who turned to see Masaru's blue sweater sinking into the endless green. They called out his name, and when he didn't respond, they started on their way. Shibutoi paused for a moment. "Ladies first."

"Grr, whatever! We don't have time for this!" Haruko continued trotting down the overgrown grass with Aruarumon in hand, Shibutoi following suit.

The teens and their Digimon stopped at a familiar clearing, governed by a tall oak tree. "Aw man," Shibutoi said, "We didn't just go in circles, did we?"

"Only 'cause the Digimon did, boss." Coronamon added, his head raised high.

High up within the branches was a faint white figure. It was entangled in coiling green vines, with a pained expression and downed ears expressing the pain of its captivity.

"Lunamon!" Masaru called out. "Are you...?"

She opened her beady eyes, hearing Masaru's voice and sensing his unmistakeable aura. Feeling slightly relieved, she opened her mouth to respond before the vines of her captor tightened, letting out a high-pitched scream of pain instead.

"Lunamon!"

"What are you two standing around for?" Shibutoi scoffed. "Let's get our Digimon up on that tree and smash the thing to oblivion!" He signalled to Coronamon.

"No!" Haruko disagreed. "Attacking something you don't even _know_ is not a good plan! Think for a second!"

"What should we do instead then? Wait for the Digimon to poke its head out and say 'Hi?'"

The two continued to bicker for some few seconds. Aruraumon eventually intervened, with a worried look on her face. "Haruko, there's something you should know about that Digimon..." Both her partner and Shibutoi stopped, staring at the flowery creature.

"You know who it is?"

"He's one of the forest cultists back in our world. They would kidnap other Digimon as a sacrifice to a god or something like that. Usually they did it through... suffocation."

The last word had Masaru look back up at a helpless Lunamon, the vines ensnaring her body looking ever so tight. He balled his shaking hands into fists, trying to keep his lip from quivering. "Shibutoi's right, Haruko. We need to save Lunamon, fast."

Haruko, seeing the Digimon's face twisted in agony, agreed. "But what should we do?" Her words were panic-stricken, afraid they were too late to do anything now.

"Weedmon!" Aruraumon shouted up the oak. "Let go of her!"

On cue, the vines wrapped about Lunamon slowly loosened. Upon realizing this, Masaru quickly ran to the spot under her, arms outstretched. "Lunamon!" She fell into his arms abruptly, her once-flawless white fur ridden with bruises and marks. Her eyes were screwed shut as well, deeply worrying Masaru.

Leaves rustled overhead as a gruesome face emerged from their depths. A crooked grin complimented its cruel, slitted eyes. Atop its head was a feathery headdress, waving in the wind as it suspended from the branches using its vines.

"You remember me, weedling?" Its cackling voice caused the younger Digimon to cringe. "And here I was going to use that white rodent pest! Lord Pan will be delighted to have me offer the last of your lot."

Wasting no time, one of its vines lashed forth and snatched Aruraumon from Haruko's side. Aruarumon tried her best to wriggle free, but Weedmon's grasp only tightened.

"Let go of me!" She continued to squirm about. "I won't let you kill me... the same way you did with my family!"

Weedmon only laughed at the demand. "Oh, my little weedling, but that is why you must be offered! For unto the great Pan are all of you worthless pests to be exterminated!"

Down below, Haruko turned to the two other boys with a look of desperation. "That-that-that _thing's_ going to squeeze her to death!" With Masaru still tending to Lunamon, she focused her attention on Shibutoi. "Do something about it!"

The boy just grinned. "Now you're starting to see things my way." He beckoned toward Coronamon. "Up for this?"

"You betcha, boss!" The excited Digimon rushed up to the front of the tree. "Hey! You're the one who hurt Luna, and now you plan on killin' Aru too?" He balled one of his fists, setting it ablaze. "For that, I can't forgive ya!"

Coronamon ran a short distance before leaping up at a great height. He held his right fist up toward Weedmon, the flame surrounding it lighting up the darkening sky like a firework. "Take this! **Coro-Knuckle**!"

Just short of the assault's impact, Weedmon lashed the vine holding Aruarumon, hitting Coronamon back the way he came. The orange Digimon screamed in surprise, landing with a thud in front of his human partner.

"Ahoohoohoo!" Weedmon cackled. "You worthless bug! You don't even deserve the honour of being offered to Pan!" It tightened its grip on Aruaumon once more, eliciting a groan of pain.

Shibutoi and Haruko bent down by Coronamon, who got up slowly and rubbed his arm.

"Are you hurt?" Haruko asked.

"What happened there?" asked Shibutoi, more disappointedly.

"Forgot... The Weedmon guy's Champion level, meaning he's actually stronger than even me. Hard to believe, I know."

"But if he's that much stronger, what are we going to do?" Haruko yelped in panic.

"We need to find another way to bring him down." The suggestion came from Masaru, who was still holding Lunamon in his arms sincerely. "If attacking him head-on doesn't work, there has to be another way."

"What do you mean?"

High above, Aruarumon was held firmly up to the sky, still in Weedmon's grasp. She had stopped struggling only moments ago, the impact with Coronamon having injured her as well. Weedmon noticed the lack of wriggling and grinned with his full set of fangs. "Oho, looks like you're almost ready!"

"No... I'm not." His captive tried her best to resist, but could only wheeze and cough.

"What a great day! I've managed to hunt down the last of you ivy pests! The Lord will surely be pleased." With that, he squeezed down even harder, evoking a scream. "Oh, may Pan have mercy on this soul!"

"Yeah, and the offerin' today is _you_."

Sensing the taunt from below, Weedmon loosened his grip as he focused his gaze on the orange Digimon glaring up at him.

"Ohohoho! This again? I wasn't planning on offering up worthless trash like you, but I can once I'm done with this little one."

"Too bad ya won't live long enough to accomplish that!"

Coronamon's fist flickered to life as he launched up toward his adversary. Weedmon tried swatting him back, but was a split second too late. His once-condescending face lit up in terror as the flaming Digimon flew up toward him... And passed by, missing its impact, landing on the other side of the oak tree.

Weedmon was hysterical. "Bwahahaha! You can't aim to save your life! Or rather, your good friend here!"

"Think again, chump."

Suddenly, a burning sensation appeared at the tip of Weedmon's other vine. He looked behind him to see the branch he held engulfed in flames, slowly deteriorating. "No! Y-you...!" In a desperate attempt to find a new place to hang onto, he released his hold on Aruarumon, who fell soundly on the grass below.

"Aruarumon!" Haruko prepared to run, but Shibutoi held her back.

"Stop! The big guy's coming down!"

Immediately after saying that, there was a loud snap. Tumbling out of the leaves with much rustling, Weedmon fell to the ground with a loud thud, landing on top of his own two vines. He tried shifting up and down to get up, but without anything to support him and his rotund body, it was impossible.

A small figure emerged from the tree's shadows, grinning profusely. "That's what ya get for hurtin' Luna," Coronamon said.

"You!" Weedmon hollered out desperately. "H-help me up! Now! Pan commands you!"

"Oh, I'll help ya get up." Even in the darkness, the three teens could see Coronamon's almost devilish grin. "I'll send ya straight up to the great beyond!"

A bright flash filled the area as Coronamon looked up to the sky and focused, the visor on his forehead surging with power. "**Corona Flame**!" A great fireball grew out from the visor, flying out to a helpless Weedmon.

"Aaaaaargh!" The vegetation Digimon was immediately caught up in the flames. "Lord Pan, help me! _Help meee_!" His cries of agony and horror filled the grove as he roasted in the fire. The painful screams mixed with the wind's howl and charred, black silhouette they could make out before Weedmon was reduced to ashes and binary code sent shivers down Masaru's spine. Haruko stepped back, almost dropping her Digivice.

At last, the flame died, and all of the binary code floated up and disappeared into the darkening sky. The place where Weedmon had lain was charred black, only a few feet away from another green Digimon.

"Aruraumon!" Haruko went over to where her partner lay motionless, examining her with a worried expression. She cradled the creature in her arms, letting out a sigh upon seeing the slow rise and fall of her chest.

Coronamon rushed over to Shibutoi, the two sharing a high-five. "We did, it boss! We really did it!"

Shibutoi rubbed his noise and chuckled. "Heheh, I guess we did! ...But could you stop calling me "Boss?" It's too stuffy and boring."

"Fine! Then whaddaya want me to call you?"

Shibutoi tapped his chin in wonder. "Hm, we're definitely closer than just partners, and I'm not gonna be your superior or anything..." He clapped his hands together. "That means we're brothers! So just 'Bro' will do. Okay, bro?"

"Got it, bro!"

The two laughed heartily, before being interrupted by a low voice. "Could you two shut up?"

"Huh?"

Haruko got up, giving the two a fierce glare. "I told you two to shut up! Lunamon and Aruarumon almost died, and here you guys are laughing it off like it was nothing! Especially after the way you burned the weed monster to death!" There was a glint in her eyes, and her shrill voice sounded as if she were about to cry. "You... you almost burned her along with it!"

Shibutoi looked at the Digimon she cradled in her arms. Aruarumon had almost been suffocated to death by Weedmon, and recklessly attacking him while she was in close proximity wasn't the wisest decision. "Okay, okay," the boy grumbled. "It won't happen again."

"You better hope so!"

They both shot each other a sharp look, before looking away. Shibutoi spotted Masaru still kneeling down on the grass, still tending to an unconscious Lunamon. Shibutoi walked over to him with Coronamon, trying his best to wear a warm smile.

"Hey, quick thinking back there, Seishuku. The thing with the branch really saved our hides."

"Thanks." Masaru barely looked up, his dark hair and goggles masking his face in shadow.

Coronamon could see Lunamon's chest slowly rising and falling, but he was still worried nonetheless. He'd seen her get beaten up back in their own world, but never this badly.

Masaru pulled the white Digimon up, holding her cautiously in his arms. In the last few traces of daylight, Shibutoi could see deeply distraught eyes plastered onto a worn out face.

"I think I'll head home now," Masaru said weakly.

"Oh, sure. Just gimme a sec and we'll come with you."

"...Actually, I sort of wanted to go now... alone."

"Alone?" The day had already gone by, and the sky was turning a dark shade of blue, becoming a rich velvet as evening descended. "But it's getting late, and like I told you earlier..."

A firm hand grabbed Shibutoi's shoulder. He looked behind him to see a solemn Haruko, slumping Aruarumon over he shoulder. She shook her head at the boy, before looking over to Masaru. "You can go on ahead, Masaru."

Masaru nodded weakly. "Thanks. Goodbye."

The other two wished him a quiet farewell as he tread back past the endless trees, finding his way back to the sidewalk. He looked down at Lunamon once more before continuing down toward the urban sprawl.

* * *

><p>It was the early hours of the night when Masaru arrived at his floor. He had made his trip a short one, keeping to himself and looking away from others on the street and on the subway. Still, the moon was already shining through the small windows in the hallway when he raised a hand and knocked softly on his door.<p>

The door opened slowly as his mother came into view. She was more distressed than the day before, her face twisted in worry. "Ma-Masaru...?" She reached out and hugged her son, sobbing into his shoulder. After several seconds, she let go and stared at him intently, brushing the tears from her eyes. "Where were you all this time? It's almost seven! And you wouldn't answer your cellphone!"

Masaru tried his best to come up with an excuse, but the day's hardships had worn him out more than he thought. He simply walked past her into the living room, his father looking up from the TV. Entering the room, he locked the door with a sharp click.

"Masaru!" His mother yelled. "Come back here! You need to..."

"Hold on, dear." Mr. Seishuku looked up at his wife, sincere eyes visible through his glasses. "He's tired, and something's sure to be bugging him. Whatever happened, he'll tell us later, when he wants to."

Ms. Seishuku sniffled as she sat down on a kitchen chair. "I hope you're right, dear."

Within his room, Masaru set down his schoolbag on his bed. He had carefully placed Lunamon back inside the sports bag before knocking on the apartment door, and now took her out just as gently. She was set down on the window sill, the full radiance of the moon enveloping her.

Masaru looked at his defeated partner mournfully. "I'm sorry. I... I never should have brought you to school today." After a short moment, he left the room, knowing he couldn't keep his parents waiting for long.

Lunamon awoke only a few hours later. Her bruises still stung, but the moonlight eased the pain greatly as she stood up. She hopped down quietly onto Masaru's bed, where the boy slept soundly.

Feeling a slight tinge of sorrow coming from their mind link, Lunamon touched Masaru's face lightly, feeling the moisture still fresh on his cheeks.

**A/N: These chapters just get longer and longer, don't they?**

**As promised, the first proper battle was included here, although it was over a little too soon. However, I will try to incorporate more strategic elements in the series, as exemplified by Masaru's little tactic here.**

**The next chapter will take a deviation from Masaru. I feel I've given him the focus long enough, even though this chapter ends quite sadly for him. But it's probably for the best that I flesh out the other two Tamers. In particular, I don't want to leave you guys thinking Haruko's just a whiny Team Mom :P**

**Well, the next chapter will be started on, and I'll do my best to make sure it's up sooner.**


End file.
